MANILA (AsiaNews): More than 300 people from different Christian denominations, including Catholics participated in the Ecumenical Walk for Creation 2024, as part of the celebrations for the Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation, on September 1, at St. Andrew’s Theological Seminary in Manila, the Philippines. The theme was “Hope and Act with Creation”.
The Philippine Laudato Si’ Movement organised the event in collaboration with the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines [CBCP], the National Council of Churches in the Philippines and the Philippine Council of Evangelical Churches.
Laudato Si’ is a global movement involving Catholics committed to living the message of the eponymous encyclical. The Time for Creation runs from September 1 to October 4, the feast of St Francis of Assisi.
In the Philippines, the Church continues the celebrations with the National Sunday of Indigenous Peoples on the second Sunday of October, thus recognising their contribution in preserving Creation.
In a message, Bishop Pablo Virgilio David of Kalookan, president of the CBCP, urged people to deepen their relationship with Creation. Indeed, as the world grapples with climate change, the festival promotes group prayer, reflection and action.
“It is an opportunity to pray and respond to the cry of Creation together with all people of goodwill,” Bishop David said.
“… our indigenous peoples … are in the best position to teach us about the fundamental interconnectedness of all creatures,’ he said.
“Let us sustain our reflection on that beautiful passage where the Holy Apostle speaks of the whole creation groaning in labour pains and reminds us that we are already enjoying the first fruits of the Spirit and that therefore we too are groaning within ourselves as we await the fullness of God’s glory, which is about to be revealed in creation,” Bishop David said.
Various Catholic dioceses, religious congregations, institutions, civil society groups and other communities organise events such as seminars, conferences and exhibitions aiming to educate and enlighten the public on ways to safeguard the environment.
